Very well balanced flavor. Roasty malt flavor is the most prevalent, almost sweet enough to qualify as a sweet stout, but balanced nicely by the hops. 69 IBU is a bit high for this style of beer, but it works really well here. Crisp flavor, slightly dry finish. Chocolatey, toasty aftertaste.

Not a lot to complain about here. The head retention, in the several bottles I've payed attention to, has been relatively poor, and the head itself has been somewhat less creamy than typical of the style. Also, the body is perhaps a bit thinner than I like to see in a stout. Still, a very drinkable beer.

Also, huge kudos to Rogue for putting *so much* information about their beer right on the bottle. IBUs, Hop type, malt type, specific gravity, it's all right there! Rogue is the only company I know of that does this. (1,003 characters)

Pours blacker than black with a very creamy brown head that leaves a nice lace all the way down the glass. Strong chocolate aromas as well as some dark roasted coffee. There is also some nice piney/grapefruity bitter smell to this brew. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Tons of chocolate in thsi brew, especially as it warms. Good coffee characteristics as well and only a small amount of perceived bitterness due to the cascades but not very much actual hop taste/flavor. Smooth and chewy mouthfeel that is definitely contributed to by the oats that are added. This is one awesomely drinkable beer and is one of my all time favorites. It is definitely very deserving of it's spot on the top beers. (706 characters)

This stout looks as delicious as it tastes. The head retained its fine froth the entire time I drank it. Viscous, black stout with a reddish, coffee colored head. Slight coffee/burnt aroma; burnt toast nose leading to a very slight sweetness at the rear of the palette. Nice chewy mouthfeel, probably due to the oats. Maybe a hair too much carbonation in my 22-oz bottle. Finish is quick and hoppy; aftertaste deliciously roasty and bitter. One of my favorite stouts- nice and dry but not thin. (494 characters)

This was exceptional. Opaque, black and beautiful with a thin brown head. The lack of head retention is the only thing that kept it from a five in appearance. Chocolate and roasted malt in the aroma. The flavor was coffee/roasted malt, which lasted forever on the tongue. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy-almost satin on the tongue. This is one of the best stouts out there. (383 characters)

My second favorite stout as of this tasting. Inky dark in color with a hint of chocolate flavor with a malty after taste. Has a little bitter tang on finish. But a pleasant bitter after taste. One to keep in my stock! (217 characters)

I've just returned from a local restaurant/beer bar where I had the Shakespeare Stout (ok, well two of them) along with dinner. Very tasty (with a very agreeable finish) though a bit thinner than I would have expected. This is a minor quibble though as this is one of the best stouts I've ever had. Highly recommended, esp in the big bottles. (342 characters)

The best stout in a bottle? 1000-midnights black with a thick, foamy, brown head with a ton of stick and stay. A caramel-malty nose, roasted, with shades of hop oil. Roasted grains, black malt and chocolatey tastes with fresh-hop bitterness. A rich and smooth medium body with bite.

Absolutely seek and enjoy this brew, you are doing an injustice otherwise. The best stout. !Viva Rogue! Cheers! (406 characters)

This heavy stout has a sticky heavy dark tan head and a very dark color. Heavy malt aroma gives hints of the thick heavy body. This is one of the most bitter stouts out there. Nice roasted flavor with chocolate undertones. Not the best, but not bad. (253 characters)

Well not much I can say, that hasn't already been stated. I thought this was great. Jet black color, very thick, is it going to make it out of the bottle ? Nice thick tan head, little oily drops dancing on top. Smell was sweet and bitter at the same time. I really noticed the roasted fruit and malt. Tasted better than it smelled.Very even taste, sweet, the fruit, malt, and touch of hops as well. Very good, mesermerizing beer, I just looked at it and wondered how it could taste so good. This also at the top of my list. I have only 1 left of 6. Bummer. (556 characters)

Deep opaque color; dark as night. Deep tan head with loose carbonation. Big chocolate nose. Flavor is part creamy, part bitter, but with an incredible lightness for such a flavorful beer. (190 characters)

Heard a lot of good things about this sucka, and I wasn't disappointed. Black color, a huge, tan, creamy head, and excellent lacing. Very nice nose: a mix of roasty, malty and chocolate notes. Presented itself well in the body/smoothness departments. Superb flavor! Roasted malt and bitter chocolate in a rich mix, along with some hops at the dry finish. Good stuff!

I can add little to the consecrating that's been done over this beauty by the reviewers who drank the bottles I wish I now had in front of me.

Rather than the charcoal that Drew noted, I picked up a "cleanness," a difficult to define taste/mouthfeel thing that I've noted most usually in beers from Maine (I know, this one's from the other side of the country) - maybe the water/yeast has something to do with it? "Cleanness" is a quality that allows all of the beers complexities to come through - think about the mouthfeel you get from water from an ice-cold mountain spring. The beer equivalent of a full-range electrostatic speaker.

One of, if not THE most gorgeous beers I have ever had the pleasure of beholding. Pours ink black (not even anything peeking out around the edges) with a massive, mousse-like brown head.

Smells of mocha with hints of carmel and hops.

Taste hits you with some milk chocolate, smooth sweet oats (earthy as well), with a subtle coffee backdrop. Finish blasts you with a big acidic roastedness (like raw coffee bean...or huge expresso) mixed with the cascades. Very bitter on the finish. Balances out the early sweetness well.

Only qualm: the hops seem to pierce through the body at the finish..makes it seem less full-bodied than it really is. Dare I say, tone the trademark hoppiness down and this would be perfect. Just a minor complaint, still, damn fine. BTW: I like this baby warmed up to mellow the hops and bring out the most in the body.
This is a beer to drink and drink and drink and drink.....

The Bard would be proud of this.
Get thee to the brewery (986 characters)

Man, this is an awesome stout. Pours out motor oil black, darkest beer I've seen in a long time. The head was light brown, not massive, but ample and smells of roasted malt. Then comes a complete flavor explosion upon entering the mouth. We got sweet chocolate, coffee, a sort of charcoal, and earthy flavors all combining for make one of the most complex stouts I've had. It went down smooth easy, like the good stuff it is. I was going to have dinner with this but ended up being dinner itself. It finished off with a almost undecernable bitterness. This is one of the best and I highly recommend it. (610 characters)

It's black and beautiful. Many flavors are bouncing off each other: chocolate, coffee, and others I haven't yet been able to put my finger on. However, it wasn't quite as chunky as I expected. I would like to try it on draught. (231 characters)

This may well be the best stout I've ever tasted. It was as black as a starless midnight with a thick creamy brown head. Interesting, and damn fine, aroma of roasted barley and a bit of citrusy hops. Nice thick, rich stout with an incredible flavor! (281 characters)

Midnight black with one of the darkest heads ever, deep auburn with those even darker last drips from the pour. Really great lace as well, intricate crown-of-thorns patterns. Sweet smell, some whiffs of dehydrated, concentrated strawberry. Darn-near perfect mouthfeel, heavy and rich but not at all syrupy. Chocolate flavors with a hint of vanilla and berry in a very consistent statement. Solid roast and an impressive and distinguishing hop bite to the back flavor. This is a dang OUTSTANDING Stout, just first rate in all categories. Man, it is good. (553 characters)

This is as high as I think I've ever rated a beer. Wonderful, outstanding, refreshing, flavorful....I could go on and on. This pours to a beautiful dark color with amber hints in the lace and foam. A wonderful mouthfeel is followed by a near-perfect taste all the way through. There is something magical that happens to stouts when oats are added. It becomes a food, an event, a happening and not just a drink. Yum. (422 characters)

Oh my gosh, this was a good beer. I'm a huge stout fan to start with, but this is a great stout. The appearance was great. It was like a big black mass topped by a lightly colored chocolate milkshake. The head was very creamy, especially considering it wasn't nitrous dispensed. Allergy season is kicking in right now so I couldn't get much out of the smell, but what I did get was nice. The taste is great, a little more roasted/burned bitterness than most of the other stouts I've tried, but it was backed up by a full, rich flavor. Combined with the mouthfeel it tasted like a drinking a glass of thin chocolate milk with a good bit less lactic sweetness (although I may have picked up some of that) and a healthy shot of dark chocolate espresso. This beer would be frightening if nitrous dispensed. (802 characters)

Starts by pouring a nice coffee black with a dark tan / copper head that is very creamy. Notes of roasted malts among other things in the aroma. Roasted malts come upfront on the palate then finishes with nice notes of chocolate in the aftertaste. Very smooth mouth feel.
Every beer that I had from Rogue was great! They have so many great beers! (347 characters)

if only my morning coffee was this good.....pours out black with a vigorous brown head which unfortunately died too quickly. hints of burnt caramel and chocolate malts with a subdued cascade hops aroma....the taste is exceptional with bitter malts and hops balancing out the profile...a burnt coffee finish with the hops lingering on....but the hops aren't overwhelming which of course is desired in a stout...but the hops (of course...it's a rogue) dance on the tounge enough to break up any creamy slickness that is usual for stouts. a "hophead" stout for sure, but balanced enough to appeal traditional stout drinkers. yummy! (630 characters)

Dark tan head that is both creamy and lacy, sticks to the side of your glass as you drink it. Massive roasted smell compared to other stouts, with a hint of astringency. BIG Roasted barley assault upfront on the palate with a strong hop bitterness and no hop aroma, slight aftertaste of licorice and bitter chocolate. Thick mouthfeel that also seems to "fizz" on your tounge slightly. This is a big, bold, black and beautiful stout, and why I love the style... very heavy, which is what I drink a stout for... (509 characters)

My first Rogue. This is a great looking beer, pitch black with a light brown, foamy head. Oddly, the aroma is almost nonexistent. What strikes me is the carbonation, both the look of it as you swirl it in your glass, and the feel of it on your tongue. I couldn't detect much chocolate in the taste, but rather a very dark (almost burnt) espresso. Overall, a nice beer, and an impressive introduction to Rogue. (409 characters)